Manure loader and spreader



Nov. 6, 1934.

F. N. G. KRANICK MANUE LOADER AND SPREADER 2 sheets-sheet 1 Filed Nov. 12. 1951 IN V EN TOR.

Nov. 6, 1934. F. N. G. KRANICK MANURE LOADER AND SPREADER Filed Nov. 12, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patentedllov. 6, 1934 I l I UNITED STATES PATENT oFEiCE MANURE LOADER AND SPREADER Frank N. G. Kranick, Racine, Wis.,'assirgnor to.

.tlf I. Case Company, Racine, Wis., a corporav on i Application November 12, 1931, Serial No. 574,473 13 claims.' (c1. 275-1) My invention relates to improvements in that 'Ihe shaft 22'.v carries a gear 23-fixed1y secured type of vehicles employed for manure spreading thereto, both rotating the same direction, that and the like into which material is manually loadis, toward the conveyor while the latter is either ed and then spread over, the ground by distributin unloading or loading motion, and which gear ing devices usually actuated by the moving veco-acts with gear 23 to rotate shaft 22 in reverse 60 hicle, it being my object to provide such a vehicle directions from shaft 22 through manipulation drawn and operated by tractor or other power and of clutch member 24 keyed to shaft 22 and adapted which will serve first as a self-loading vehicle and to slide across the meeting ends of shafts 22, 22', then as a distributor of its load, whereby I maand which clutch is controlled by a lever 25 in an terially facilitate the spreading operations, as the well known manner for such purpose. Said gears 65 vehicle when loaded andr the material distributed 23, 23', are controlledby the lever 25 and are may be returned to the source of supply and drivenby a bevel gear 26 mounted on a flexible quickly reloaded by mechanical means, thus dispower take-off shaft 27 .running through a speed pensing with the comparatively slow methods .of changing gear-box 28 of any desired construction forking, piling and leveling commonly now widely and arrangement for varying the speed of the 75- employed. p vehicle actuating mechanisms, the shaft 27 being In the accompanying drawings, forming part connected to the power shaft 29 of a' tractor 30 hereof, Figure 1 is a plan view of a vehicle emby universal joints 31 and telescoping section 32 bodying my improvements; Figs. 2 and 3, fragas is common. The gear 21 has a clutch member mentary side elevations showing varied adjust- 21' adapted to be engaged vand disengaged by a 75 ments of parts of the vehicle; Fig. 4, a detail secyieldingly mounted clutch 35 through the shifting tion taken on the dotted line 4-4 in Fig. l; Fig. of a lever 36, pivotally mounted at 37, to an arm 5, a detail section on the dotted line 5-5 in Fig. 38, and the end of which lever is connected by a 4; Figs. 6 and 7, detail sections taken on the dotted r rope 39 under control of the tractor operator so line's 6-6 and 7-7, respectively, in Fig. 1; Fig. 8, that the gear j21 may be declutched when. it is 80 a detail of a modified construction adaptedfor desired to cease the traveling operation of the use on horse-drawn vehicles; Fig. 9, a detail secconveyor and again clutched to actuate the contion taken on the dotted line 9-9 in Fig. 8; Fig. veyor in forward or reverse direction according 10 a section on the dotted line 10--10 in Fig. 1, to the direction of rotation of shaft 22 as deter- -and Fig. 1l is an enlarged detail of the actuating mined by the clutching of either of the gears 23, 85 mechanisms for the conveyor and other elements. 23', with clutch 24.

In carrying out my invention I employ a box- An inner shaft is mounted in the hollow like vehicle comprising side and end walls 5, 6, shaftlby suitable bearings 41, and each end sills 7, and forward and rear carrying wheels 8, 9, of said shaft 40 carries a windlass 42, 43, xedly 5 respectively, which latter are mounted on stub secured thereto, the windlass 42 Comprising A2t 90 axles 10, Ythe bottom or bed of the box being proclutch member 42m-adapted t0 engage One end vided with an endless conveyor 11, Fig. 2, comof a double clutch 44, 44, which is freely mounted prising chains 12 and Ycross slats 13, Fig. 1, of on shaft 40 and controlled by lever 44 insuch well known construction and adapted to travel manner that said clutch may be engaged with o about said bei clutch 42" so as to" cause rotation of shaft 40, 95

'Ihe forward end of the conveyor 1l is mounted 01 rotate idly: or cause rotation of shaft 16 by on sprockets 15 carried by a hollow shaft 16, while engaging Clutch 44 With ClutCh 45. as the Operthe rear end thereof, as is common, is mounted @tot desires. Clutch 44 iS slidably mounted in on similar sprockets, a roller or otherwise, so that Worm geel' 17 bij splines 17' 01 Otherwise, and 45 the conveyor. may be driven freely in forward or Whieh Clutch een be InOVed laterally on shaft 100 D rearward directions by a worm wheel 17, Fig. 6, 40 Without Causing Worm gear 17 to move out engaging a worm 18 on shaft 19 the latter having 0f engagement With Worm 13. Seid WOI'm gear a bevel gear 20 at its opposite end meshing with being suitably held in position by common' means. a freely running bevel gear 21 mounted on shaft: On each of thawindlasses 42, 43, a cable 42', 43' 0 22, which latter is in alignment with shaft 22', the, is wound andY extends rearwardly and connected 105 direction of rotation of which shaft 22 is conto-drums 42", 43", mounted on a shaft 46, said trolled by clutch gears 23 and 23 and a clutch shaft having pinions 47, 48, at its ends engaging member 24 slidably .mounted on shaft 22 and racks 47', 48. As clearly indicated in Fig. 2, adapted to engage with either of said clutch gears each rack, as 48', is securely `fastened to or formsI as will'further appear. a part of an axle-bearing holder 49 of U shape 110' or other desired form,` and mounted ina sliding guide 50, 51, secured to the box 5, as at 52, Fig. 4. Secured to said holder 49 is a support or axle bearing 53, preferably a reinforced casting, iixed to the holder by rivets 54 or otherwise, in which support the stub axle 10 is mounted, it being understood that said guides, holders, supports and stub axles at each side of the vehicle are duplicates.

At the rear 4of the vehicle I provide toothed spreader cylinders 55, 56, as is common, and upon shaft 57 of cylinder 56, supportedY on the sills 7, I pivotally connect the arms 58 of a distributor 59 which may be adjusted from the horizontal position indicated 'in Fig. 2 to the vertical position shown in Fig. 3, for a purpose to appear. sills 7 is the rear conveyor shaft 60, carrying sprockets 60' and conveyor 11, rotating and cooperating with cylinder56, as indicated by arrows in Figs. l2 and 3, and the cross-slats 13 of the conveyor are preferably so mounted as to extend over a loosening shovel 61 supported by frame 62 connected to sills 7. The shafts of the rotary cylinders 55 and 56 are providedvwith sprockets 63 actuated by a drive chain 64 engaging the sprockets, the forward turn of the chain being mounted on a drive sprocket 65 on shaft 22 to rotate the toothed cylinders in accordance with the direction of rotation of said shaft. It will also be understood that I provide the vehicle with fenders 68, 69, connected to the stub axles 10 and converging at Atheir forward ends and suitably connected to the vehicle, by which means the vehicle is protected from damagel when contacting with posts and the like, which are pushed aside or the vehiclesufiiciently deflected so that such obstructions may not enter between a rear wheel and the vehicle body to cause damage or breakage to the axle supports and parts associated therewith. These fenders 68 and 69 also 'act as tension members transmitting part ofv y cylinder 56 may effectively pick up and deliver such material onto the conveyor.

When it is desired to load the vehicle the body thereof is lowered by engaging clutch 44l (shown in Fig. 6 in neutral position and therefore idling) with clutch member 42' to rotate shaft 40 and the windlasses 42 and 43 in the direction to un- 'wind cables 42' and 43', which is accomplished by manipulating lever 44', whereupon the inner' weight of the vehicle body as it instantly begins to lower when the cables are thus released. As said -shaft 46 carries the pinions 47, 48, engaging the racks 47', 48', the rotation of the shaft will cause the pinions to travel downwardly lon said racks and thereby lowering the body to the positionindicated in Fig. 3. When thus lowering the body the4 distributor 59 is automatically swung, by meansof cable 59 Yconnecting the same to the holder 49, to the position indicated in Fig. 3, and

Adjacent cylinder 56 and supported by position as indicated in Fig. 3, said chain rotating the cylinders in such direction as is best suited in cooperation with the rear end of slatted conveyor 11 to pick up the material and throw it into the conveyor. A lever 72 including a pawl 73, Fig. 10, is pivotally secured, at 74, to the bottom of the body, and connected to said lever is a rope 75, guided by pulleys 76, 77, Fig. 1, which rope extends, as at 78, to within convenient reach of an operator. A spring 79 constantly urges lever 72 downwardly so that pawl 73 will be engaged with a ratchet wheel i'ixedly mounted on shaft 46 and the vehicle body thus sustained in raised position. As the body is to be lowered the power is engaged in the manner explained, and rope 75 pulled, whereupon pawl 73 will be disengaged from ratchet wheel 80 to permit shaft 46 to rotate in the direction of the arrow and thereby causing pinions 47, 48, to travel downwardly on the racks as before described. When the body is in the desired lower position the clutch 44 is released from clutch 42"' by lever 44 and the rope Y75 released so that pawl 73 and wheel 80 will be reengaged. Shaft 22 is then adjusted by clutch 24 so that the worm shaft 19 will rotate to cause the conveyor 11 to travel toward the 'front end of the body and to carry the material forwardly so that it will become packed, and to avoid uneven masses or shallow loading of the material the conveyor may be caused to intermittently stop and start by disengaging and reengaging clutch 35 in relation to bevel gear 21, which, as stated, is accomplished by manipulating rope 39 under control of the tractor operator. stood, therefore, that the vehicle is being constantly backed so that the material will be confined by the wings or guides 70 and picked up by cylinder 56 vand by the latter thrown onto the conveyor 11 in the manner described and carried forwardly to be accumulated into a load.

When it is desired to raise the body from its lowered position it is but necessary to regulate shaft '22 by means ofA clutch 24 so as toI rotate in the proper direction, and then engage clutch members 42" and 44 when the body has reached the desired height, the stop mechanism described requiring no attention from the operator as the body is being raised as the ratchet and pawl mechanism 73, 80, will retain the body when stopped. When thelbody has been loaded and then raised in the manner described the distributor 59 will be automatically returned to the position indicated in Fig. 2, and the vehicle then drawn to the field for discharging and scattering the load by the rotation of cylinders 55 and 56 in the same ldirection as when loading as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 2, while at the sameA time the conveyer will travel rearwardly and carry the material within the influence of the cylinders, which scatter it more or less, and deliver portions thereof to distributor 59 to'be more widely scattered.

As above described, my improvements are applicable to a power propelled and operated loader and un1oader, but it will be understood that Aby slight modification a horse-drawn vehicle of the character may be provided with similar or equivalent means whereby the vehicle body may be raised and lowered, which modified form is indicated in Figs. 8 and 9. In said construction the wheel 9' is fixedly secured to the stub axle 10', the inner end of which axle is provided with a bevel gear 10", said shaft being supported in the axlebearing 53' seated in a guide 49' secured to the body 5. Said axle-bearing supports a screw-shaft collar 77 having bevel gears 'I8 adapted to beV shiftedinto engagement with gear 10" by means of a lever 79, the screw shaft/at its upper end being supported in a threaded brace 80. A similar assemblage o f mechanisms is associated with the opposite wheel, and the levers 79 may be controlled by the operator in any suitable manner. When the vehicle is drawn forwardly it will be seen that wheel 9 drives the bevel gear 10", and when the appropriate gear ".18 is brought into engagement therewith the screw-shaft will be rotated to raise the body 5 into proper position for transportation and unloading and distributing purposes, and when the body is to be loweredfor loading purposes the adjustment of the collar I7 is reversed so that a gear 78 will engage bevel gear 10" to rotate screw-shaft .'75` in a reverse direction, whereby guide 49 will slidedownwardly to carry the body into such lowered position as may be de sired. In such. construction, as well as that shown in Figs. 1` to Lit will be noted that I employ stub axles for the rear wheels, by which construction and arrangement ample space is provided beneath the vehicle so that the range of movement thereof 'im raising and lowering is entirely unobstructed,-

and which is an important feature of my improvement. i

In the manner described I provide a combination, loading and unloading vehicle for the purposes stated which may rbe conveniently positioned to be loaded, whereby material, such as manure and the like, may be mechanically removed in an expeditious manner and automatically loaded, conveyed from the source of supply and unloaded and effectively distributed, either vby tractor or other power, at a considerable saving in time, labor and expense.

I claim asvmy invention:

1. In a combined manure loader and spreader, a receptacle, a conveyer in the receptacle, supporting wheels, stub axles upon which the wheels are mounted. means for raising and lowering the receptacle in relation to said axles, means for actuating the conveyer forwardly to load and rearwardly to unload saidreceptacle, means for actuating the conveyor intermittently, and means for loading the receptacle as the conveyer moves forwardly and for distributing material as the conveyer moves rearwardly and unloads the receptacle.

2. In a combined manure loader and spreader, stub axles at opposite sides thereof, a receptacle supported on the axles, sliding means on the receptacle adapted to be moved vertically in relation to the axlesfor lowering the receptacleinto loading position and raising thfe same'to unloading position,1 means for actuating said sliding means, a conveyer in the receptacle, means for actuating the conveyer to move forwardly for loading and rearwardly for unloading the recepl tacle means for actuating the conveyor intermittently, and means cooperating with the conveyer for loading material into the-receptacle and for distributing material as it is being unloaded by the conveyer. y

3. In a combined manure loader and spreader,

supporting wheels, stub axles upon'which theV wheels are mounted, a receptacle supported by the wheels, a conveyer in the receptacle, means for actuating the conveyer in forward and reverse directions, means for raising and lowering the receptacle in relation to said axles, means for actuating the conveyer forwardly when loading and rearwardly when unloading the receptacle, means for actuating the conveyer intermittently, and

-means cooperating with the conveyer for loading material into the receptacle and also for dis Y tributing material as it is being ,unloaded by the conveyer said means rotating in the same direc.- tion during the operations of loading and distributing material.

4. In a combined manure loader and spreader,

, a receptacle, a conveyor in the receptacle, means 'the receptacle, means for actuating the conveyor in reverse directions, meansv for controlling the conveyor to intermittently move material forwardly in the receptacle, means whereby the receptacle may be raised and lowered: means for actuating said latter means, means for loading the conveyor, and means for actuating. the loading means to distribute material discharging from the conveyor.

6. In a combined manure loader andrspreader, an axle bearing, a stub-axle therein, dmeans in which said bearing is supported, a rack associated with said latter means, a receptacle'having a guide adapted to slide on said bearing support,

a pinion on the receptacle engaging Said rack', means for actuating the pinion to travel on the rack for raising and lowering the receptacle, a conveyer inthe receptacle, and means lat one end of the receptacle for'loading material thereinto and distributing the material as it is being unloaded by the conveyer.

7. In a combined manure loader and-spreader, an axle bearing, a stub-axle thereon, a receptacle, a guide on the receptacle movable in relation to the bearing, means associated with saidA bearing for raising and lowering the receptacle, means for automatically actuating the raising and lowering means, a conveyer in the receptacle, means for actuating the conveyer forwardly for loading and rearwardly for unloading the receptaclaand means for propelling material onto the conveyer for loading the receptacle and for distributing the material as it is being unloaded by the conveyer.

8. In a combined manure loader and spreader, a receptacle, a windlass on the receptacle, a drum on the receptacle, a cable on the windlass and connected to the drum, a pinion adjacent the drum, a rack with which said pinion engages, an axle axle bearing, and means for .rotating the windlass to unwind the cable from the windlass and wind said cable about the drum whereby the weight of the receptacle will cause the pinion toI traverse the rack and lower the receptacle in relation to the axle bearing. i

9. In a combined manure loader and spreader ol. the character described, a receptacle, a shaft on lthe receptacle, wlndlasses on the shaft, a rear shaft on the receptacle carrying drums, cablesl wound upon the windlasses and connected to the drums, pinions on said drum shaft, wheel supported means engaging with said pinons, and

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10. In a combined manure loader and spreader embodying a receptacle, driven shafts each having a bevel gear thereon, a driving shaft having a gear thereon adapted to engage said gears, a clutch for engaging the bevel gears to rotate one of the driven shafts in either direction, rotary velements on the loader and spreader connected to the other of said driven shafts and rotated thereby, a windlass on the loader and spreader, means engaging said first mentioned driven shaft for rotating the windlass, ya drum on the loader and spreader, flexible means wound upon the windlass and drum, a wheeled axle supporting the loader and spreader, and means for controlling the first mentioned driven shaft and the windlass whereby the exible means on the windlass will be unwound and wound about the drum to lower the receptacle and again rewound to raise said receptacle.

11. In a embodying a receptacle,'a conveyor in the receptacle embodying chains and slats, a hollow shaft,

veyor shaft when said shafts are disengaged toA actuate said conveyor, and means for causing the combined manure loader and spreader inner shaft to actuate other elements on the loader and spreader.

12. In a combined manure loader and spreader embodying a receptacle, a driven shaft, means for rotating the shaft in reverse directions, a clutch controlled bevel gear on the shaft, means for engaging and disengaging the clutch, a conveyor driving shaft having a gear adapted to be engaged with said bevel gear, a worm on said lat- Y ter shaft, a conveyor shaft engaging said drum, a conveyor connected to and driven by said conveyor shaft, an inner shaft in said conveyor shaft, a windlass on each end of 'the inner shaft, a clutch on the inner shaft adapted to engage the conveyor shaft or the inner shaft alternately, means for actuating the clutch, a drum at opposite sides of and adjacent the rear end of the conveyor, a cable connecting the.windlasses and drums, wheels having stub-axles associated with said receptacle and drums, and means for rotating the windlass shaft to unwind the cables from the windlasses and wind said cables about the drums for lowering the receptacle and also for reversing rotation of said shaft to wind said cables on the Windlasses for raising the receptacle in relation to the wheel supporting means. g

13. In a combined manure loader and spreader including a. conveyor and rotary material handling means connected therewith, means for actuating the conveyor in reverse directions, means for actuating theconveyor intermittently, means for actuating the material handling means to rotate in -one direction only, and means on the vehicle for preventing contact of obstructions with parts thereof.

FRANK N. G. KRANICK. 

